"Judge Bunning's decision today speaks for itself," Beshear said in a statement. "The future of the Rowan County clerk continues to be a matter between her and the courts."

Beshear noted that deputy clerks in Rowan County have said they will resume issuing marriage licenses Friday and "it appears that the citizens of Rowan County will now have access to all the services from the clerk's office to which they are entitled."

Davis has cited her personal religious beliefs for defying a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling and refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo have said Beshear could call a special legislative session where lawmakers could amend state law so that clerks would no longer issue marriage licenses, but merely record them. Stivers has also said he believes Beshear could make that same change by executive order.

But Beshear said Thursday that the legislature has given county clerks the legal authority to issue marriage licenses, and as governor he has no authority to relieve them of their duty by executive order.

And — repeating what he has said for several weeks — Beshear said, "The General Assembly will convene in just four months and can make any statutory changes it deems necessary at that time. I see no need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers' money calling a special session of the General Assembly when 117 and 120 county clerks are doing their jobs."